Anti-locking device for refrigerators



March 27, 1962 G. B. KIDWELL ANTI-LOCKING DEVICE FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed May 4, 1960 l? INVENTOR Gazz/ord Kz'dvve ZZ' ATTORNEY 3,026,825 ANTI-LOCKING DEVICE FOR REFRIGERATORS Gaylord B. Kidwell, 5024 34th Road N., Arlington 7, Va. Filed May 4, 1960, Ser. No. 26,922 4 Claims. (Cl. 109-635) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, Without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to means for preventing the in advertent closing, sealing, and locking of doors, such as refrigerator doors, so as to prevent accidental loss of life by reason of children becoming locked in abandoned refrigerators or in refrigerators stored in warehouses or the like..

A primary object of the invention consists in the combining with a conventional refrigerator having a hinged door, sealing means between the door and refrigerator body, and a latch for automatically locking the door when in inoperative position;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the structure of FIG- URE 1, taken on the line 2-2 of that figure;

vFIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURES 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views showing the anti-locking means moved into anti-locking position.

tamer, which 1t is intended to be tightly sealed is indi- The free edge of the door 2 is provided with a hand-operated latch 6 of any preferred form and adapted to cooperate with a complete latch portion 7 attached to the door jarnb to bring the faces of said body portion and of said door into sealing contact with each other. The entire anti-locking attachment comprises a door stop 8 slidably mounted in a recess 9 formed in the door jamb and exnited lStates Patent Oiice 3,026,825 Patented Mar. 27, 1962 factory. With the present invention, the accidental death of children in a refrigerator or the like is entirely prewhat I now consider to be the preferred form of the inincluded Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator having a body portion, and a door hinged to said body portion, said body portion and said tion by rotating said screw-threaded post; whereby said refrigerator door may be closed only when said stop member is retracted, and whereby accidental closing of said refrigerator door is prevented when said stop member projects from said recessed portion into the path of said door.

3. In a refrigerator according to claim 1, a sealing gasket disposed between said door and said body portion, said sealing gasket being clear of said recessed portion and of said reciprocabie stop member.

4. In a refrigerator according to claim 1, a sealing gasket disposed between said door and said body portion,

said sealing gasket and of said reciprocable stop member.

being clear of said recessed portion References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 19. 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION March 27, 1962' Patent No., 3,026,825

Gaylord B. Kdwell It is hereby certified that error appears in the abo-ve numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

for the Claim reference numeral y Signed and sealed this loth day of July 1962 SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. swIDER DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

